The Gironde (French revolution)

the Gironde , name given to a political group during the French revolution, which sat at the legislative Assemblée and the national Convention, because it was composed of several deputies of the edges of the the Gironde. They resulted mainly from the provincial middle-class of the large coasting harbors. Their violent confrontation with the group of the Montagnards dominates the first months of the Convention.

Called at the time Brissotins or Rolandistes , the name of Girondins is less old and was popularized only at the beginning of the 19th century, in particular by Lamartine in his Histoire of Of Gironde the . Its members, for the majority registered with the Club of the Jacobins, were regarded as most radical of the assembly, following the example deputies of Paris, were taken along by Robespierre, which one named the Montagnards.

Division on the question of the opportunity of the war

The Of Gironde ones preached the war against those which, in Europe, encouraged resistance to the revolutionary laws or did not observe a pledge of neutrality by disarming the emigrants. March 15th 1792 the Of Gironde ones carried it, and Louis XVI formed a ministry of Gironde with Dumouriez with the Foreign affairs and Roland inside. April 20th 1792, the war was declared. At once the dissension worsened between Robespierre and Brissot. The first refusing confidence with the ministers of Gironde, those had to resign on June 13rd 1792.

If the Montagnards refused to join the the day of June 20th 1792, they prepared the insurrection of August 10th, founding a insurrectionary Commune to Paris and claiming a Convention. The two parties were thus drawn up one against the other before the opening of the national Convention…

The duel Of Gironde - Mountain dwellers with Convention

With the national Convention, the Gironde, primarily made up of deputies of the provinces was installed on the right and the Mountain, composed of the twenty-four deputies of Paris and several others was installed on the left. The Of Gironde ones dominated the Parliament and, immediately, they attacked with the Commune of Paris and the Mountain dwellers, whom they held for persons in charge of the Massacres of September. It was Marat which was aimed at the first.

Although shown Federalism, the Of Gironde ones profited from the favorable evolution of the military situation (victory of Jemappes, November 6th 1792) to start again Convention of Gironde. However, to the lawsuit of the king Louis XVI, the Of Gironde ones, while requiring the call to the people, was made suspect of republican tepidity, while trying to save the king. The evolution of the military situation (demolished of Neerwinden, March 18th 1793, treason of one as of their, Dumouriez, April 5th 1793), and their opposition to the institution of the revolutionary Tribunal, compromised them definitively.

April-May 1793: the ultimate fight between Of Gironde and Mountain

They were initially the Of Gironde ones which made issue the arrest of Marat by national Convention (April 13rd, 1793); but this one was discharged by the extraordinary criminal Court and triumphantly regained the Parliament (April 24th, 1793), then, in order to inquire into the exactions of the Commune of Paris and to take care of the safety of the Parliament, they made name a Commission of the Twelve with being able of arrest. Hébert, substitute of the Commune of Paris, was stopped. Broken Commission of the Twelve then restored. The Mountain dwellers, in the clubs, called upon the people of Paris.

Strong of the support of 36 sections, the Commune organized the days of riot of the May 31st and June 2nd 1793. The national Convention encircled by insurrectionists ordered by Hanriot, chief of the national guard, voted the arrest of twenty-nine deputies of Gironde and two ministers. Several of them succeeded in escaping and tried to raise the province, following the example Élie Guadet, with little success in the immediate future, if it is not, perhaps, the assassination of Marat by Charlotte Corday.

Repercussions

However the takeover by force against the elite of Gironde federalistic of Convention is felt hard in the south of the country: Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseilles and others make secession as from June 1793, amorçant true a " revolt provinces" to defend the federalism. The rebellion was quickly subdued, obliging the chiefs to commit suicide (Buzot, Clavière, Pétion, Roland).

The lawsuit of twenty and the one Of Gironde ones, not escaped, (Brissot, Vergniaud, Gensonné, Viger, Lasource… etc) occupied the audiences of the revolutionary Tribunal of the 3 to the 9 brumaire year II (24 October 30th, 1793). All were condemned to died and guillotines the 10 brumaire year II (October 31st, 1793).

Some fugitive (Isnard, Lanjuinais) could reinstate national Convention after the Thermidor 9.

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